How UK train companies could make rail fares cheaper and better
6 years, 4 months ago

How UK train companies could make rail fares cheaper and better

Wired  

Getty Images / Jeff J Mitchell / Staff Rail fares are going up, on schedule. It's not been a good year for the rail industry in the UK, and the carnage caused by the mismanaged timetable shakeup has dominated coverage, meaning any fare rise – expected or not – feels like a "slap in the face" to commuters, as one MP claimed. According to National Rail, about 40 per cent of rail fares are regulated; that includes season tickets for commuter journeys, as well as "anytime" tickets around cities and "off-peak" returns for long-distance trains. "Train operators have put in contracts that are predicted on the basis that the rail fares will rise by inflation every year," says transport expert and author Christian Wolmar.

Rail Fares  regulated  pay  train  uk  companies  cheaper  timetable  rail  fares  tickets  schedule  transport  rise  plenty  better

History of this topic

Simon Calder reveals how to get train tickets for £4 or less in the Rail Sale
1 day, 2 hours ago

Simon Calder reveals how to get train tickets for £4 or less in the Rail Sale

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy “More discounted tickets than ever before”: that is the government’s promise as the 2025 Rail Sale …

Rail sale: When you can access cheap train tickets and the operators taking part
5 days, 23 hours ago

Rail sale: When you can access cheap train tickets and the operators taking part

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Train ticket offers Examples of price reductions on typical Advance fares include: Examples of price reductions on typical Advance fares …

Tube and rail fares in London to rise by 4.6% in March ‘to fund key projects’
1 month ago

Tube and rail fares in London to rise by 4.6% in March ‘to fund key projects’

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Tube and rail fares in London will increase by 4.6 per cent from March 2 next …

Study ranks UK train fares highest in Europe – but praises passengers’ rights
1 month ago

Study ranks UK train fares highest in Europe – but praises passengers’ rights

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The analysis of 27 European operators found that “travelling by rail in the UK is particularly costly”, adding that high …

Rail fares will continue to rise under Labour’s public ownership plan, transport secretary indicates
1 month, 1 week ago

Rail fares will continue to rise under Labour’s public ownership plan, transport secretary indicates

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rail fares will continue to rise under Labour despite plans to …

Fast track to nowhere: Nationalising the railways will cost Britain dear, warns ALEX BRUMMER
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Fast track to nowhere: Nationalising the railways will cost Britain dear, warns ALEX BRUMMER

Daily Mail  

Amid the outrage from retailers and farmers over a poorly designed £40billion tax-raising Budget, Labour’s most misplaced act of socialism has gone almost unnoticed. The Labour manifesto promised to end the hybrid settlement under which mainly private sector licence holders use tracks centrally controlled by Network Rail. Public ownership: The railway nationalisation bill is on a serene, high speed journey …

Review into rail fare-dodging enforcement after ‘egregious’ prosecutions
2 months ago

Review into rail fare-dodging enforcement after ‘egregious’ prosecutions

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In her first appearance before the Transport Select Committee, Louise Haigh said: “We have seen egregious examples of fare prosecutions …

Europe wants you to travel by train. But why is it so complex and expensive?
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Europe wants you to travel by train. But why is it so complex and expensive?

BBC  

Europe wants you to travel by train. Getty Images Booking train tickets can be expensive and complicated compared to flying "I recently booked a trip to Hamburg from Amsterdam," Geneen said. Eurail, which runs Interrail, one of the continent's best-known train travel brands, says it has seen the demand for European train travel and flight-free itineraries grow by 25% between …

Train fares and railcard price increase: What you need to know
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Train fares and railcard price increase: What you need to know

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The cost of regulated train fares in England will increase by up to 4.6% next year …

Why Labour’s plan to revive British Rail won’t bring down ticket prices
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Why Labour’s plan to revive British Rail won’t bring down ticket prices

The Telegraph  

Slashing ticket prices, conversely, would require an increase in subsidy, something Labour is reluctant to fund given the numerous other calls on the public purse and its determination to stick to fiscal rules. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch praised Labour’s commitment to nationalising rail franchises as they expire as “in the best interests of railway workers”. He said the move …

Labour fails to rule out fare rises under rail nationalisation plan
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Labour fails to rule out fare rises under rail nationalisation plan

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The shadow transport secretary has failed to rule out that fares …

Train fares increase again – find out how much your ticket will cost now
10 months, 1 week ago

Train fares increase again – find out how much your ticket will cost now

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Train fares are …

Rail passengers in England face ‘brutal’ hike as fares to rise by 4.9%
1 year ago

Rail passengers in England face ‘brutal’ hike as fares to rise by 4.9%

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunak’s government …

Train ticket prices could fall by 56 per cent if rest of UK follows Scotland in scrapping peak-time rail fares
1 year, 4 months ago

Train ticket prices could fall by 56 per cent if rest of UK follows Scotland in scrapping peak-time rail fares

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Train operator ScotRail and the Scottish government are facing a 30 per cent slump in rail commuting due to changes …

Brits ‘virtually forced’ to take flights instead of trains due to ‘overpriced’ rail fares, says Greenpeace
1 year, 5 months ago

Brits ‘virtually forced’ to take flights instead of trains due to ‘overpriced’ rail fares, says Greenpeace

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy British travellers will only choose to go on holiday by train if major steps are taken …

Why you should buy your train tickets before 5 March
1 year, 10 months ago

Why you should buy your train tickets before 5 March

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rail fares are set to go up on 5 March and current train tikcet prices will …

One million £1 train tickets available as Northern launches flash sale
2 years, 4 months ago

One million £1 train tickets available as Northern launches flash sale

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rail operator Northern has launched a flash sale, promising a million £1 tickets for journeys across …

UK workers stage nationwide train strike as inflation worsens
2 years, 5 months ago

UK workers stage nationwide train strike as inflation worsens

Al Jazeera  

Wages have failed to keep pace with UK inflation, currently at a 40-year high and set to worsen. Some 40,000 railway workers in the United Kingdom have staged a walkout over pay, job security and working conditions as the country battles its worst cost of living crisis in decades. Mick Lynch, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime …

Union warns of ‘summer of discontent’ on trains as pay fails to rise with inflation
2 years, 7 months ago

Union warns of ‘summer of discontent’ on trains as pay fails to rise with inflation

The Independent  

Rail workers could trigger “a summer of discontent” across Britain unless pay rises match inflation, a union boss has warned. “If the Department for Transport, train operating companies and Network Rail don’t come forward very soon with proposed pay increases, which at least match inflation, a summer of discontent is on the way across our railways.” As well as a …

Nationalise the railway and slash fares: Andy Burnham’s plan for transport
2 years, 8 months ago

Nationalise the railway and slash fares: Andy Burnham’s plan for transport

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Burnham sets out the policy that, as a senior Labour politician, he is promoting: “We won’t get the railway …

Half-price train tickets: How does the sale work and what’s the catch?
2 years, 8 months ago

Half-price train tickets: How does the sale work and what’s the catch?

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As the government and rail industry seek to boost demand after the slump caused by the pandemic, more than one …

Great British rail sale: London to Edinburgh for £22 as train ticket prices slashed
2 years, 8 months ago

Great British rail sale: London to Edinburgh for £22 as train ticket prices slashed

The Telegraph  

First step to cut cost Transport campaigners welcomed the move but warned that it should be a first step to cutting the cost of rail travel. It can show the Treasury that the way to increase income is to cut fares, not to keep ratcheting them up and driving people off the railway.” While rail travel is heavily subsidised by …

Commuters hit by biggest rise in rail fares in almost a decade
2 years, 10 months ago

Commuters hit by biggest rise in rail fares in almost a decade

The Telegraph  

Commuters will be hit with the biggest increase in rail fares for nearly a decade despite a steep fall in the number of train services being run. National rail fares will rise by 3.8pc, the steepest increase since January 2013, in a fresh blow to families facing spiralling energy bills, soaring inflation and steepling mortgage costs. The increase will do …

Train passengers braced for largest spike in fares since 2013
2 years, 10 months ago

Train passengers braced for largest spike in fares since 2013

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “It is important that fares are set at a …

How much more expensive will my train ticket be next year?
3 years ago

How much more expensive will my train ticket be next year?

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks …

Rail passengers face potential 4.8% rise in fares
3 years, 4 months ago

Rail passengers face potential 4.8% rise in fares

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. That would lead to hikes in the cost of …

Rail fares need an overhaul to help ‘level up’ the North
4 years, 3 months ago

Rail fares need an overhaul to help ‘level up’ the North

The Telegraph  

Boris Johnson risks falling short of his pledge to “level up” all regions of the UK due to a “complicated and restrictive” rail fare structure, industry leaders and politicians have warned, particularly following the impact of Covid-19. The Rail Delivery Group said the current system made it “difficult to offer the more flexible fares and ticketing options that passengers will …

Rail fares to rise by 1.6% from January
4 years, 4 months ago

Rail fares to rise by 1.6% from January

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Many train tickets will cost 1.6 per cent more from 2 January – unless the government …

Wales has found an answer to England's soaring train fares
5 years ago

Wales has found an answer to England's soaring train fares

Wired  

Getty Images / WIRED Every January rail fares in the UK get more expensive. But this year Wales has done what the rest of the UK rail has found impossible: instead of hiking prices, it slashed the cost of train tickets by up to ten per cent. Wales has notoriously poor rail infrastructure – you can’t get from north to …

Rail fares: Commuters will ‘refuse to pay’ if season ticket hikes continue, campaigners warn
5 years, 5 months ago

Rail fares: Commuters will ‘refuse to pay’ if season ticket hikes continue, campaigners warn

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Train commuters will “refuse to pay” if season ticket prices continue to be hiked, a rail …

In London, rail fares have frozen but the service has improved. The government could do the same
6 years ago

In London, rail fares have frozen but the service has improved. The government could do the same

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Just take Wednesday, when millions of …

Rail fares rise by 37% in a decade
6 years, 1 month ago

Rail fares rise by 37% in a decade

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rail fares have risen by 37 per cent in a decade, The Independent has calculated – …

Privatising Britain’s railways cost taxpayers £5bn per year and increased fares, Labour claims
6 years, 2 months ago

Privatising Britain’s railways cost taxpayers £5bn per year and increased fares, Labour claims

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The 'catastrophic' privatisation of Britain’s railways has cost the taxpayer £5bn …

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